Chris Douridas hosts a very special conversation with the great Leonard Cohen and his collaborator Anjani, in celebration of her new album Blue Alert (on which Anjani sings songs she crafted from Leonard's previously unpublished lyrics.) The couple talk about how she selected poems from his notebooks to develop into songs, occasional frictions in the creative process, as well as Leonard's feelings about the unprecedented act of giving his words to another songwriter.

Anyone can clearly hear the quality and comfort in their relationship. If there are any doubting Thomases out there about Leonard and Anjani, tune in to this.

I also found it interesting that "Undertow" had the most minimum of Leonard, just a low 'undertow' of him later in the song, and then some more of him at a more 'visible' level, but overall... much more Anjani. Yet, at that time, Anjani's being the 'one' singing that song got very little if any comment in the way of complaint... perhaps, it takes only a 'minimum' of Leonard's comforting voice to comfort us into acceptance?

"Thanks for the Dance" closes it out and puts me in tears. This interview feels nearly as much about the beauty of their relationship as it does about Leonard's book, and their recent and upcoming album. The symbiotic quality of Dick's photo in the park can be heard throughout this interview. Even the balance in their sharing the talking. Leonard clearly takes the lead on their meeting... it sounds crucially important to him that they did, and that he be the one to explain it .

I want a copy of this interview.

Love,
Lizzy

Last edited by lizzytysh on Tue Jul 11, 2006 10:03 pm, edited 1 time in total.

In both songs we hear elements of greek music, my heart opened up wide and I was about to letting myelf go but I got a job to do and it's better to wait for the entire album and then have this lonely sinking feeling as in the old days and be on my own for a whole night. I am very much looking forward to what comes in 2007 and it was so interesting to hear that his puppets sounded so different to mine, his .. more of a masterpiece, his .. more of a blessing, his .. much closer to heaven.

Yes, exactly, Simon... I noticed the "we" linked with "tour," as well.

You're right, Henning, there are indeed elements of Greek music in both... only more pronounced in "Puppets" ~ and, you do lovely music renditions of Leonard's poetry... of course, his will always, I believe, sound closer to heaven than most any rendition I've ever heard of any of his songs. A couple may come close, but none surpass.

what an amazing interview. so unique to hear thedemos. if cohen was arriving on the scene today he surely would be reguarded as ultra modern and avant garde. i would love to keep this interview or be able to seperate the songs. has anyone managed to do that?

"The Book of Longing" could - after some postproduction work (maybe new, more upfront vocal from Leonard?) - be huge as In My Secret Life, it is Cohenesque smash hit! Great, just great.

I didn't succed in downloading the interview, can only listen to it while online. But as soon I succeed, I'll cut the songs in mp3. Usually ~greg knows do to that, but he wasn't on board for few weeks now. I'd like also to cut the reading of poems from all recent interviews.

Peter, the text og Book of Longing (poem) is available on publisher's site (Ecco's), and on KCRW's site. Early version is on The Files. But the song he played is not the poem version from the book - it's closest to it, but I think one verse is omitted, some lines from first version are introduced, and few words were changed.

It should be regarded as an ad for the new (2006)
"The Very Best of Roberta Flack" on Rhino,
- because this album really is apparently the best yet of Roberta,
- and because it includes "Trade Winds", which used to be
only available as a very rare B-side on vinyl,
- and because saying so might keep me from getting sued.

could be just an artifact of the transformations.
or some accident during the recording.

or it could be an intentional effect.
like a speaker rapping his knuckles down on a podium
to emphasize a point.

but whether it's accidental or on purpose,
i hope LC has the balls to keep it in.
it's a needed piquant in a maybe too mesmerizing flow.

(if it's an accident, all the better reason to keep it in.
my favorite was on the Stone's Lurch boot-leg,
where Keith says to Jagger "we've got a echo in there".
And Jagger says: "let's do it with echo.")

(Gives me an idea for a song.
Well, for a sound effect in a song.
Scattered throughout this hypothetical song are very
brief subtle moments of:
1) a rock breaking scissors,
2) a scissors cutting paper
3) paper wrapping a rock.
)

Yes, I heard the sound. I was thinking it's due to Leonard's home production - namely, ther similar sound is heard in his demo recording of A Thousand Kisses Deep (early, non-Sharon melody), in Spring 96 documentary. On screen, you can see the sound is coming from Leonard's hard hiting of a key on the synthesizer in front of him (in his monastery cell). I thought the same happened here. He probably uses the same Technics.